Veterans/Memorial Day Poem, #211

Veterans/Memorial Day Poem, #211

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW?

Do you really want to know what it s like being a Vietnam vet?
Do you want to know about war?
Do you want to know about fear?
Do you want to know about death?
Do you want to know what it s like seeing someone s head explode?
Do you know fresh brains look slimy, pink and white?
Are these the things you want to know?
You ask me how many people I shot and killed.
You ask me how many dead bodies I ve seen.
Should I count them for you?
Do you want to smell the smell of death?
Why do you want to know these things?
Do you want to know of my friend who intentionally shot himself in the foot while on LP to get out of combat, then died from shock?
Is this what you want to know?
Or, do you want to read the letter I wrote to his mother
telling her how her son died a hero?
Perhaps that s what you want to know.
Do you want to know about awaking in the jungle to tracer rounds zinging beneath your nose and above your head and hearing the screams
of those hit by those rounds?
You surely must want to know that.
Do you want to know how still and quiet 20 dead young men are
laying elbow-to-elbow under ponchos?
Are these the things you want to know?
Do you want to hear about the screams We re Americans! We re Americans! ,
as we shot our own men coming in from night patrol?
Do you want to know about the one we killed?
Do you want to know what it is like living with paranoia as your daily companion?
Do you want to know about the dreams and sleepless nights?
There are many of them you can ask about.
Do you want to know what the chill feels like in hearing Fix bayonets!
when surrounded by bad guys and fearing being overrun?
Would you like to feel that chill?
Or maybe you want to know how to drive at over 100 mph late at night, screaming, with no one to hear your screams.
Would you care to take that drive?
Do you want to hump through thick jungle all day staring at the eyes of a dead young man carried by two other young men, those eyes never leaving yours?
Of course, that must be what you want to know.
Are these your questions?
I can answer these and more, if you really want to know.

Written from the Heart by Lew"Smitty"Smith
2/503d, 173d Airborne, '65/'66

More Poetry
http://members.aol.com/warlib/poems.htm

Submit a poem
http://www.amervets.com/poems/mypoem.htm

-- Otis Willie (Ret.)
Military News and Information Editor (http://www.13105320634.com)
The American War Library, Est. 1988 (http://www.amervets.com)
16907 Brighton Avenue
Gardena CA 90247
1-310-532-0634

Military Webmaster Site Link Request Form:
http://www.amervets.com/linkreq.htm

Military and Vet Info-Exchange/Discussion Groups
http://members.aol.com/warlibrary/share.htm

	#1
Otis Willie PIO The American War Library	Veterans/Memorial Day Poem, #211 Veterans/Memorial Day Poem, #211 DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW? Do you really want to know what it s like being a Vietnam vet? Do you want to know about war? Do you want to know about fear? Do you want to know about death? Do you want to know what it s like seeing someone s head explode? Do you know fresh brains look slimy, pink and white? Are these the things you want to know? You ask me how many people I shot and killed. You ask me how many dead bodies I ve seen. Should I count them for you? Do you want to smell the smell of death? Why do you want to know these things? Do you want to know of my friend who intentionally shot himself in the foot while on LP to get out of combat, then died from shock? Is this what you want to know? Or, do you want to read the letter I wrote to his mother telling her how her son died a hero? Perhaps that s what you want to know. Do you want to know about awaking in the jungle to tracer rounds zinging beneath your nose and above your head and hearing the screams of those hit by those rounds? You surely must want to know that. Do you want to know how still and quiet 20 dead young men are laying elbow-to-elbow under ponchos? Are these the things you want to know? Do you want to hear about the screams We re Americans! We re Americans! , as we shot our own men coming in from night patrol? Do you want to know about the one we killed? Do you want to know what it is like living with paranoia as your daily companion? Do you want to know about the dreams and sleepless nights? There are many of them you can ask about. Do you want to know what the chill feels like in hearing Fix bayonets! when surrounded by bad guys and fearing being overrun? Would you like to feel that chill? Or maybe you want to know how to drive at over 100 mph late at night, screaming, with no one to hear your screams. Would you care to take that drive? Do you want to hump through thick jungle all day staring at the eyes of a dead young man carried by two other young men, those eyes never leaving yours? Of course, that must be what you want to know. Are these your questions? I can answer these and more, if you really want to know. Written from the Heart by Lew"Smitty"Smith 2/503d, 173d Airborne, '65/'66 More Poetry http://members.aol.com/warlib/poems.htm Submit a poem http://www.amervets.com/poems/mypoem.htm -- Otis Willie (Ret.) Military News and Information Editor (http://www.13105320634.com) The American War Library, Est. 1988 (http://www.amervets.com) 16907 Brighton Avenue Gardena CA 90247 1-310-532-0634 Military Webmaster Site Link Request Form: http://www.amervets.com/linkreq.htm Military and Vet Info-Exchange/Discussion Groups http://members.aol.com/warlibrary/share.htm